


I Wanna See You Be Brave

by kirani



Series: Matt [4]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Asexual Character, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Chirping as Flirting, Coming Out, Crushes, F/M, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Multi, Non-binary character, POV Alternating, Polyamory Negotiations, Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 17:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19067071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirani/pseuds/kirani
Summary: In which crushes are had, feelings are talked about, and chirping is indistinguishable from flirting





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Art by [Mori](https://dyinginjapanese.tumblr.com/), beta’d by [Anna](https://halfdesertedstreets.tumblr.com/).  
> Title from the Sara Bareilles song "Brave"

Tony had questions.

This wasn’t news to anyone who knew him, as he was pretty much always asking something. But these questions seemed different.

He had a few types of questions that he tended to ask.

First, he had humorous questions. They were rhetorical and sarcastic, or they were supposed to be, but usually, people thought they were honest. Whiskey was really good at spotting his humor, though, which was nice.

Second, he had questions he was just curious about. Where most of his friends and teammates would wonder things internally or google them themselves later, Tony just asked it. He didn’t like censoring himself, and what was the harm in asking Bitty to explain the difference between a cobbler and a pie? Yeah, he could google it, but this was better. He got the bonus of building a friendship.

Third, he asked questions that he knew others wanted to know but wouldn’t ask. He had a very shy best friend that he did that for back in Jersey and now at Samwell he did it for Whiskey. And for all Whiskey caught on to his sarcastic questions, he hadn’t seemed to have caught on to these. That was okay.

So Tony was used to asking questions. He was a curious guy and he learned best through questions. Which was why it felt so weird to have these questions be stuck in his throat.

The first question started when their new team manager had been hired. Lardo was amazing and Tony was worried about the team falling apart without her, but then he met Ford.

She was strong and didn’t take any bullshit and also she was… so friggin’ cute.

Ford immediately drew Tony’s attention whenever she was in a room. He wanted to ask her a million things, get to know her by pure force of his curiosity. But for the first time in a long time, he was hesitant to ask.

He was wary of embarrassing himself. Or her. Even though he usually didn’t care about that. Or make her feel pressured or uncomfortable. Because this desire to know her felt different than his desire to befriend Bitty or Nursey, it was somehow _more_. He wanted to sit close to her and press himself against her and brush errant curls from her forehead and feed her and…

Yeah, he had a crush on his manager.

So. First question. Is that inappropriate? And what should he do, if anything?

The second question he had was more nuanced. Because before he’d met Ford he’d been pretty sure that he had a crush on someone. The problem was that it wasn’t a girl.

He’d only had crushes on girls before, and this crush on a boy felt different. Not so much the feeling itself — Tony wanted to kiss and touch him just like he had with girls in high school — but the intensity. He wanted to be around him all the time and he wanted to make him the happiest he had ever been.

But Whiskey didn’t seem to want that.

So Tony kept his questions to himself and just wondered silently what it would be like to kiss Whiskey, what it would be like to get to make him smile, what it would be like to hold him close after losses and not have to break apart for bed, fumbling with apologies. He wanted to just _keep_ Connor. No, Whiskey. He was a teammate and he should stay that way. Whiskey.

And then there was his third question. How was it possible that he had two crushes, two _strong_ crushes, at the same time? And what was he supposed to do about it?

He had no idea.

The last question was the first to get answered (not that it helped answer the first two, but at least he only had two questions) by walking in on a Frog Pile.

Except this wasn’t like a Frog Pile he’d seen before, because Chowder, Nursey, and Dex were making out.

“Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to intrude!” Tony slapped a hand over his eyes and started backing down the hall.

“Tango, it’s okay,” Chowder called, and there was a noise of people moving and then a hand on his wrist, gently pulling his hand down.

“We’re decent, promise.” Chowder grinned at him.

“Were you making out?”

“Chyeah,” Nursey called.

“With both of them?” Tony asked Chowder.

“Yeah, they’re both my partners.”

“I thought you were dating Caitlin Farmer?”

“I’m dating her, too.” Chowder’s grin faded to a small smile. “Nursey and Dex aren’t though.”

“I don’t get it,” Tony said because he really didn’t.

“We’re poly, we date multiple people.”

“Oh,” Tony stared at him. “That’s a thing?”

Chowder laughed but it was good-natured.

“Did you really not realize Dex and Nursey and I were dating?” he asked kindly.

“I thought you were all just really affectionate. And they’ve got that d-pair bond thing going on.”

At the mention of his name, Nursey had gotten up and now joined them in the hall entranceway and wrapped his arms around Chowder’s waist from behind, hooking his chin over Chowder’s shoulder. Dex watched them from the couch with a soft smile on their face.

“Also we make out on the regs,” Nursey added with a smirk.

“Okay,” Tony said. “Can I ask you more questions if I have them?”

“Oh! Of course!” Chowder’s cheeks flushed.

“What do you want to know?” Nursey asked, the very picture of chill.

Tony shook his head. “I don’t know yet.”

“No rush,” Nursey winked.  

~

Denise loved her new team.

She had never thought that she’d end up managing an NCAA Division 1 sports team in college, but, hey, she has the skills to keep a bunch of rowdy boys in line, so why not?

Could be fun.

And it was so far! She had inadvertently pulled in a fellow freshman -- the team called them tadpoles -- with her Stage Manager Voice during her interview and he’d been so adorably confused! The old manager promised to pick up her phone whenever she needed to talk, and Denise planned on taking her up on that.

But they were good boys. They were loud and emotional, and the captain this year was just the sweetest! And somehow it was actually easier than herding actors, which she hadn’t expected.

Now that she was the manager, though, she was starting to notice something. It had started at a kegster when two of the sophomores had been their usual touchy-feely selves and Denise found herself joining them.

She’d been talking with one of the centers, Whisk, when one of the wingers, Tangredi, had come up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist and joined their conversation as though it was nothing. And Denise found that it was, in a way. All these boys just hung all over each other all the time, this was normal. So she joined in, reaching out and patting Whisk’s chest.

But even in the flashing lights of the kegster, Denise could see both boys’ cheeks flush and she felt her own face heat. That hadn’t been what she was trying to do!

Not that she was opposed. There was a reason she’d felt so drawn to these two, after all. They were sweet and cute and always together, Tangredi basically hanging on Whisk all the time and Whisk putting up with it in ways he didn’t let the other boys.

It seemed like something nice to be part of, is all.

She realized as soon as she had touched him though that she was intervening in their dynamic and started to back off, stammering an apology. Tony grabbed her wrist loosely, easy for her to pull away from.

“Come hang with us?” he said, smiling, and Denise knew she had done the right thing.

That was how she had started hanging out with Tony and Connor, but it hadn’t stayed innocent for long.

The three of them hanging out had turned into a regular opportunity to chirp them, and the team nicknamed her Foxtrot to match the military alphabet theme with Whiskey and Tango. She liked foxes, though, so she wasn’t upset about it. And it gave her an excuse to lean into the two boys.

She was starting to wonder about their relationship though. They seemed too close to just be teammates and linemates. The other lineys -- she was still working on the lingo -- were close but the two of them seemed especially close.

So Denise was extra careful to take cues when the two of them wanted to be alone and never asked about romantic partners, just in case.

She was cool with it, of course! She loved these boys and totally understood if they didn’t want to be out, especially with how talent scouts seemed to eye Whiskey at games and didn’t want them to feel pressured to reveal if they were dating.

But as her first semester as manager went on, she got closer and closer with the boys, especially Whiskey and Tango, and they stopped dropping hints to want to be alone. They stopped pulling back from touches. Tony especially started touching her more. Connor let Tony pull them all three into group hugs with even a small smile on his face.

She wasn’t sure what it all meant. Were they together at all? Were they just affectionate friends? Maybe they were dating but also wanted to date her? She had some friends in the theater department who were polya, maybe that’s what was happening here?

She kept getting caught up in questions and laughed when she realized that this must be how Tony felt all the time.

In the end, she determined that she did like both of them but that she didn’t think it would be appropriate as their manager to even mention it. So she just enjoyed the cuddles and physicality of their friendships platonically and got to know them better.

Connor was quiet but such a sweetheart. He shared his affections with a small smile, a shared meal, or a light touch. Denise basked in it more because most people didn’t notice it.

Tony spoke more freely -- and don’t think Denise didn’t notice he often spoke for Connor when the other boy was too shy to ask something! -- and touched his friends more often, but he was still reserved in his affections. Denise found herself laughing at the little sarcastic questions he slipped into conversation, poking fun at his own questions and at whoever he was asking the rhetorical. It was so cute.

She was so very glad to have their friendships and told herself that it was enough. Most days she believed herself.

~

Connor felt like he was finding his footing a bit more as sophomore year got underway.

Sure, he had latched on to Tony pretty quickly his freshman year, but this year he was making new friends on and off the team and he was the lead scorer. Things were looking up.

He had even become friends with their new manager. Lardo had been super cool but she was a senior when he was a freshman and befriending her was just too much outside of his comfort zone.

But Denise? They were definitely friends.

She had pretty much been adopted by Tony as part of their group immediately and Connor found he didn’t mind. She didn’t try to make him talk or make him feel guilty for not wanting to hang with the rest of the incredibly loud team. She gave amazing hugs. And she always listened if he _did_ want to talk.

Tony was the same. By the end of fall term their frog year, Connor considered Tony his best friend. He was fine with silence if neither of them had anything to say, and he was amazing at directing unwanted attention away from Connor, especially around the team. He was easy with his physicality and Connor found he liked being touched by Tony where he would have shrugged off most anyone else.

And then there was Matt.

He’d met Matt through some friends on the lacrosse team. No matter what his teammates said, there were some cool guys on the team. And he and Matt had started up a mild flirtation.

By the time Matt actually asked him out, Connor was so comfortable with him he answered with a kiss.

Freshman year, Matt had had two boyfriends at the same time, and Connor had noticed but never said anything. Eventually, Matt had just let slip in conversation that he was poly. Connor hadn’t wanted to assume. But it made him feel better that it hadn’t been an infidelity situation.

One of the boyfriends had only been around for a couple of months and since then Matt had only dated John from the swim team.

(Until Connor.)

They had gone on a couple of dates now and were hanging out in Matt’s room watching TV and pretending they didn’t have homework when Matt brought up the “boyfriend” word.

“This is nice,” Matt mumbled in Connor’s ear, and he felt it rumble in Matt’s chest behind him.

Connor hummed in agreement.

They sat for a moment longer. Matt never pressured him to talk and it was nice.

Finally, Connor found the words he was looking for.

“I’m glad you asked me out.”

“I’m glad you said yes,” Matt kissed his temple.

“Technically I never said yes,” Connor smirked, leaning back into Matt’s chest to meet his eye. “I just kissed you.”

“Hmm, that is true.” Matt stroked his non-existent beard. “We’ll have to try again. Connor, would you like to be my boyfriend?”

Connor felt his eyes go wide. That had not been the question Matt asked last time.

“Yes,” he made sure to say before kissing him this time.

Matt grinned into the kiss and they fell apart with smiles and laughter.

“Good.”

Connor just smiled at him.

“Just to make super sure, you know I’m poly and still dating John, right?” Matt asked.

“I know. We’ve talked about all of that. I’ve met John.”

“Okay, I just have to make sure, you know?”

“Healthy communication and all that,” Connor kissed his nose and Matt scrunched it with a giggle.

“Yeah, that.”

“We’re good, _boyfriend_.”

Matt kissed him again.

They spent the rest of the evening together and Connor mused over his newfound relationship status.

Matt had insisted that just because he was polya it didn’t mean Connor had to be. If he wanted to only date Matt, he’d be more than happy to be his only partner. But if he wanted to date others, that was cool, too.

Despite the flirtation and dating, Connor hadn’t really thought about his own thoughts on that front. As he cuddled with his new boyfriend, though, he thought he could admit to himself that he had a couple more crushes besides Matt.

Even if he would probably never tell either of them.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony hadn’t taken the frogs -- why did everyone still call them frogs when they were juniors, anyways? -- up on their offer yet, though he had thought of several questions in the couple of days that had passed since he discovered the three of them on the couch.

What he had done instead was torture himself by hanging out with first Denise and then Whiskey and both times all he could think about was kissing them.

He felt like a terrible friend.

So when Whiskey asked to talk to him, he was afraid of the worst. He had been staring or something. Maybe Whiskey knew about his crush and he was uncomfortable and didn’t want to be friends anymore.

But that wasn’t how the conversation went.

They had walked to Annie’s together, making small talk, and it had taken all of Tony’s willpower not to blurt out questions about why they needed to talk. But he let Whiskey have his time and instead yammered about classes and practice.

When they had settled in with their coffees, Tony gave him a small smile and let them be quiet, giving him an opportunity to talk if he wanted to. He was pretty sure by now that this wasn’t a conversation about how much Tony had been staring, Whiskey wouldn’t have suggested they go for coffee if he was uncomfortable with him. Would he?

Finally, Whiskey spoke, staring into his coffee cup.

“I’m bi.”

“Oh!” Tony exclaimed. “Thank you for trusting me with this!”

Whiskey relaxed a little and smiled at him, hands still clutching his mug.

“You’re my best friend.” He shrugged.

“That doesn’t mean you owe me all your secrets,” Tony insisted and was rewarded with a small smile from Whiskey.

Tony chewed his lip. Was Whiskey maybe trying to tell him something else? “Can I ask a question?”

Whiskey nodded.

“Why are you telling me? Um, now?”

Whiskey looked back down at his mug. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while. But, well, I’ve started seeing someone.”

“Oh!” Tony exclaimed again, blinking fast trying to adjust to all of this information.

He knew he was a little upset if he was being honest with himself. To have that brief flash of hope that his crush could maybe like him and then have it extinguished so quickly with the news of a new partner? It did hurt a little.

But that wasn’t important right now. Right now, he needed to support his best friend who had just come out and informed him of a new relationship.

“Whiskey, that’s amazing! Anyone I know? Or can I meet them?” He grinned as wide as he could.

“I don’t think you know him,” Whiskey shook his head. “His name is Matt Johansen. He’s on the lacrosse team.”

“Taking the bylaws literally?” Tony chirped, happy to be back on familiar footing.

Whiskey chuckled and wrapped his hands tighter around his mug.

“It’s going well, though?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, it’s going really well,” Whiskey smiled at his coffee. “I’ve known him for a bit and we’ve been dating for a few weeks, but we made it official, you know?”

Tony just nodded, not keen on interrupting Whiskey once he got talking.

“And it seemed weird that you didn’t even know I was bi much less that I had a boyfriend. So. I’m telling you. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.” He looked up at Tony and pressed his lips shut.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for!” Tony stumbled over his words in his rush to reassure and reached out his hands to take Whiskey’s from around his mug.

He felt his cheeks heat as he watched Whiskey’s do the same and dropped his hands.

“Sorry,” Tony mumbled, suddenly afraid he’d ruined it. “But really, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Okay?”

“Okay.” Whiskey smiled.

They both took sips of their coffee.

“I think you might know Matt’s boyfriend, actually. John Kraklau? On the swim team?”

Tony blinked. “Matt’s boyfriend?”

“He’s poly. He’s been dating John since last spring.”

“Oh.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes!” Tony exclaimed. “Just surprised. Sorry. You’re the second person to tell me they were poly this week. Or. Are you also poly? Or just Matt?”

“I think I am, too. We talked about it. I haven’t asked anyone else out, though.”

“Is there someone you want to?”

Tony hoped he wasn’t imagining the coloring in Whiskey’s cheeks.

“I’m not sure. Maybe.”

“If you need a wingman, I got your back.” Tony winked.

“I’ll let you know,” Whiskey laughed.

They fell into discussions of plays and classmates and the topic of wingmanning his best friend (and crush) was left behind.

But Tony couldn’t stop thinking about it.

So he went to talk to Ford.

~

Denise spent Friday afternoons in the library, getting a head start on next week’s work since she didn’t have classes and most of her weekends were occupied with SMH duties.

She wasn’t being very productive today, though, lost in daydreams about two particular hockey boys and their platonic but very lovely cuddles. And maybe a little too much on the daydream that the cuddles didn’t stay platonic.

She was leaving the library when Tony found her, giving her a big grin and offering a hug she took gladly. She began to walk again and Tony fell into step beside her.

“Where are you headed?” He asked.

“Just back to my dorm. Finally finished that history paper.”

“Congrats!” He leaned into her in what would have been a shoulder bump if their heights were evener. As it was, his arm hit her shoulder instead.

“Thanks,” she smiled up at him. “What are you up to?”

Tony shrugged. “Haven’t decided. Can I ask you a question?”

Denise looked at him for a moment before nodding. He didn’t typically ask her for permission before his questions.

“Do you know about polyamory?”

“Oh! Yeah, I know about it. I actually have some friends who are poly.”

“Me too,” he said, looking down at his feet.

“That’s cool.”

“What do you think of it?”

“What do you mean?” she asked. What was going on here?

“Like, do you think it’s a good thing? Or like, how do you think it happens?”

“Well, I think it works really well for a lot of people. A lot of people are very happy in poly relationships. It’s not for everyone, though.”

“No?”

She shook her head. “No, some people are just very monogamous. And some people who want to date poly aren’t in a healthy place to date multiple people. They don’t know how to communicate well or something like that.”

“Oh. What about you?”

Denise felt her cheeks heat. She watched as Tony’s eyes darted to her own before looking back down at his shoes.

“I haven’t really dated much at all and I’ve never dated poly but I could see myself happily poly if I met the right people.”

They walked on in silence for a block.

“What about you, Tony?” She asked, careful to use his first name instead of his hockey nickname. She was starting to think this was not a hockey player to manager conversation.

“I’m not sure. I know,” he took a deep breath. “I know I like a couple of people. And I think those people maybe like me back.” He chewed on his lower lip and snuck another glance at her.

“Yeah?” She grinned at him and stopped walking, pulling him to a gentle stop by his wrist. “Who’s that?”

“What do you think of Whiskey?” He finally met her eye.

Denise laughed and nodded. “Whiskey’s great.”

“Okay, because I think I’m reading this correctly and you like me, which is great because I like you! But I also like Whiskey. And he is seeing someone but they’re poly, too, and I think he likes me?”

“Woah, slow down. One thing at a time, okay?”

Tony nodded.

“Yes, I do like you. And I like Whiskey, too.”

“That’s swawesome,” he grinned.

“Poly doesn’t have to be all three together though, you know?”

“Right, I know. Connor dates Matt, Matt dates John, but Connor doesn’t date John,” Tony recited.

“I don’t know who two of those people are but I trust you on that.”

Tony grinned down at her. “Are you saying you want to date even if Connor doesn’t?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” Denise smiled up at him. “We should talk to him if you want to explore that, but there are so many ways this could work.”

“Swawesome,” Tony repeated. “And I know some people who can help us out, too.”

“Sounds like a plan. Should we text Connor?”

“On it,” Tony slipped his phone out and showed Denise the short text before sending it.

 **Tony:** dinner with me and ford tonight?

The reply came quickly.

 **Connor:** cool

“Would it kill him to be a little excited?” Tony huffed, and Denise laughed.

~

Whiskey smiled and put his phone away.

“Gonna get dinner with Tony and Denise tonight,” he told Matt.

“You finally gonna ask them out?” Matt chirped.

“It’s not like that,” Connor insisted half-heartedly. “He’s my liney and she’s my _manager_.”

“And they both like you. And you like them. Can’t hurt to talk to them.”

“Yeah, alright, mister healthy communication,” he shoved at Matt’s shoulder until he was at a good height for leaning.

“You like it,” Matt grinned, wrapping an arm around Connor’s shoulders as he settled against him.

“Yeah, I do.”

When he found Tony and Denise outside the dining hall that evening, they were standing… really close together. As he walked towards them, he watched Denise lean into Tony’s side and Tony wrap an arm around her shoulder, squeezing once and letting go.

His stomach sank.

This wasn’t just dinner with two of his best friends. This was a dating announcement.

He forced himself to continue walking and the two of them finally caught sight of him.

“Connor!” Tony called, closing the space between them and wrapping him in a tight hug. Connor’s arms came up to hug him back out of habit. Tony never called him Connor.

This was gonna be bad.

“Hi, Tony,” Whiskey managed, then hugged Denise as well.

They swiped into the dining hall and filled their trays before finding a table near the back. Tony guided him into the chair next to him and Denise sat across from them.

Connor stared at his food.

“So, Tony and I were talking,” Denise began, but Tony interrupted her.

“Do you like me?”

“What?” Connor jerked his head up and looked at his friend.

“You said you there was someone you maybe wanted to ask out. Is it me?”

“Oh,” Connor said. “Um.”

“What I was trying to say,” Denise cut back in, “is that Tony and I were talking and we think maybe we all like each other. And wanted to ask you if you wanted to date us.”

“Both of you?”

“If you want.” Denise smiled. “We both like you and we think you like both of us.”

“And you two…?”

“Yeah, we like each other, too.” Tony grinned. “So it could be a triad if you want.”

Connor finally smiled.

“I’d like that a lot.”

“Good.” Tony reached over and took his hand. Connor felt his cheeks heat.

“Denise, you know I’m dating someone else, too, right?” Connor asked.

“Yeah, Tony told me.”

Connor grinned and reached across the table to take her hand as well. “Then I think this will work out.”

Tony laughed, then turned to Connor.

“Can I kiss you?”

Connor blushed again, looking around the dining hall. “Here?”

Tony laughed and squeezed his hand. “It can wait.”

They let go of each other’s hands and ate their dinner, and even though nothing had really changed yet, it felt different to Connor, knowing that something was about to change.

For the best.

Dinner was ultimately a light affair, all three of them gently chirping each other and smiling more than necessary. Afterward, they took a walk around the lake together.

Denise held his right hand, Tony his left, and the evening was quiet. He wanted this to succeed, so he stopped and gathered his courage, Matt’s voice ringing in his ears, chiding him into communicating.

“How do you guys want to do this?”

Tony turned towards him on the path, Denise curling in on his other side.

“I don’t really know much about dating, especially in a triad,” Tony began. “But Chowder and Nursey and Dex said we could ask them questions about it if we wanted!” he offered, reaching over to take Denise’s other hand, closing them into a small circle.

“And Lardo said I could call for literally anything,” she laughed. “Don’t think this is what she had in mind, but I think it’s a good idea.”

“I’ll talk to Matt, too. He’ll be ecstatic you two asked me out so I didn’t have to,” he laughed dryly.

“That’s really all poly is,” Denise nodded. “All your partners getting together to chirp you at once.”

Connor laughed softly and gazed down at her. He wasn’t really that tall for a hockey player at an even six foot, but he figured he had at least ten inches on her, maybe a full foot.

“And getting to kiss them after they chirp you,” he added.

Denise smiled and pulled him gently closer by his hand, raising onto her toes, and Connor dipped down to meet her in a sweet kiss.

Beside them, still holding both of their hands, Tony made a quiet sound.

“And watching them kiss each other, holy crap,” he murmured.

Connor chuckled as he pulled back from the kiss with Denise.

“I think I’ll take that kiss of yours, too, if you’re still offering.”

Tony grinned and swiftly moved in to capture Connor in a kiss much less sweet than his kiss with Denise had been.

“Yeah,” Denise agreed from beside them.

Tony smiled into the kiss and they began to laugh as they broke apart.

“Eager much, babe?” Connor chirped.

“ _Babe_ ,” Tony grinned. “I like that.”

Connor felt his cheeks heat as he realized the pet name he’d used.

“Yeah?”

Tony answered with a chaste kiss then dropped Denise’s hand, breaking the circle they’d formed and began down the path again, pulling Connor and Denise along.

“I think,” Tony mused as he walked, “that’s all we should do until we figure out our ground rules.”

“Okay, yeah, we don’t have to kiss more or anything until then,” Connor agreed.

“I mean, like, kissing is cool, all about the kissing,” Tony amended.

“Same,” Denise agreed.

“Just nothing more than kissing?” Tony asked.

“That works for me,” Connor smiled at Tony, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

Denise squeezed his hand and pulled him to a stop.

“There’s one I missed, though,” she looked up at Tony, who blushed prettily.

“Oh, I thought you two had…” Connor trailed off.

“We wanted to talk to you first,” Tony shrugged, his cheeks flaming.

Connor smiled at him and pulled him and Denise together by their hands, stepping back from them and dropping both hands as they came together.

Denise lifted her now free hand to Tony’s cheek and raised onto her toes again as Tony leaned down and kissed her.

He smiled as he watched his new partners kiss, and had to agree with them that it was quite nice to see.

As they pulled apart, Tony wrapped his arm around Denise’s shoulders and she wound her arm around his waist, both turning to Connor.

Tony held out his free arm and Connor ducked under it, wrapping his arm around Tony’s back and brushing against Denise’s shoulder.

Together, they headed back to campus.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was Saturday, so Tony texted Nursey. He had seemed the most comfortable with the idea of answering all of his questions, but he still asked to chat with all three of them if they were around. 

He got a response that Dex was rewriting some project but that Nursey and Chowder were free and could swing by. 

Tony grinned and replied, before heading off to brush his teeth. 

When he got back to his room, Nursey was sitting on his bed, hugging a pillow to his chest. 

“Bro, these pillows are mad soft, where’d you get them?

“Oh, um, I’m not sure, my mom bought them for me?” Tony fidgeted with his fingers.

“It’s chill, bro.”

Tony grinned and sat on the foot of the bed to chat with Nursey.

“You said I could ask you questions about poly if I had them and I came up with a couple but they’re kinda more important now because I’m going to start dating. Two people. It’s gonna be a triad. And I just don’t know where to start?”

Nursey dropped the pillow and reached over to clasp Tony’s shoulder. 

“I got your back. What do you want to know?”

“Okay, I have a few questions,” Tony began.

“Let’s do them one at a time, yeah?” Nursey interrupted. 

Tony nodded. “First, I guess, is how do we lay down ground rules for a triad? Like, doing things with just two of us or all three or whatever.”

“Well, that’s something you three will need to decide together. But I’d suggest that you allow for one on one time but try to schedule regular triad dates. Not that there’s anything wrong with being three people that all date each other but aren’t a triad, but if all your date time is one on one, it won’t stay a triad for long.”

“Okay, regular triad time but also individual time.”

“Yeah, you’ll find your mix. I spend a lot of time with both Dex and C, but we spend time on our own, too. It’s a good balance. And Dex and I have Friday dates since that’s C’s night with Farmer,” Nursey leaned against the headboard. “Make sense?”

“Yeah! And that’s another thing I wanted to ask. How do I manage the fact that Connor is also dating Matt? And should I be dating other partners? Do I even want to?” Tony snapped his mouth shut. “Sorry, that was too many questions at once.”

“It’s chill,” Nursey smiled. “I’d let Connor define his relationship with Matt and how it will overlap with the triad if at all. If they decide on a date night like C and Farms, leave them that time to themselves.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, which was still partially ajar. 

“I heard my name,” Chowder greeted as he pushed the door open. 

“Hey, C,” Nursey sat up and Chowder greeted him with a small kiss, then offered Tony his fist to bump. 

“Hi, Chowder,” Tony grinned. 

“Sorry I couldn’t get here as fast as Nursey, I was at brunch with Cait.”

“We were just talking about poly triad set up!” Tony exclaimed.

“Oh?” Chowder’s eyebrows disappeared into his bangs.

“Chyeah,” Nursey answered. “Our little taddies are all grown up and dating!”

“Who’s this triad going to be, then?” Chowder asked.

“Me, Connor, and Denise.”

Chowder’s eyebrows disappeared back into his hairline for a moment before he got his features under control. 

“Alright, so what are we talking about?”

“We talked about making triad time but also one on one time. And about letting Connor and Matt have their own space.”

“Who’s Matt?” Chowder asked.

“Connor’s boyfriend.”

“Those are good starting points. What other questions do you have?” 

Nursey butted in. “He was just asking about himself dating outside the triad,” he answered Chowder, then turned to Tony again. “I think your decision to date other people is all you, but I’d recommend establishing this triad first, then think about dating other people. Connor and Matt are already established, but you may want to focus on one new relationship at a time.”

“Exactly,” Chowder added. “And if you only want to date Denise and Connor, then you just do that! You’ll figure it out. If you think you might want to later, make sure to tell your partners when you set up your rules, though.”

“Right. Open communication,” Tony nodded.

“Such a smart little tadpole,” Chowder grinned.

“I’m taller than you,” Tony chirped. 

“Respect your goalie,” Chowder flipped him off as Nursey laughed.

“Okay, what else did you want to talk about?” Nursey pulled them back on track. 

“Well, the last bits are a little harder, I think.”

“Lay ‘em on us,” Nursey gestured widely. 

“How do I be respectful as the only white person in the triad? I know I have privilege and need to be respectful of my partners but I’m not sure how that will change once we’re dating.”

Chowder smiled at him and laid a hand on his knee. “The fact that you’re thinking about it is already halfway there.”

“Chyeah,” Nursey agreed. “You’re already their friends and they trust you not to be a dick about stuff. You’ll just have more times it comes up.”

“The big thing is to respect their rules and to defer to their experiences in racial matters. And in gender matters for Ford. She knows better than you do, no matter what you read about in Gender Studies.”

“Speaking from experience, C?” Nursey chirped.

“I’m not afraid to say my girlfriend has taught me some things,” Chowder grinned. 

“Just, be kind, be open-minded, and don’t be a dick.”

“Got it,” Tony nodded. “Okay, one last thing. I know Connor is grey ace but I don’t really know what that means?”

Chowder looked at Nursey, who shrugged but nodded.

“I’ll take that one, Tango,” Nursey answered. “I haven’t decided on my own label yet, but I’m somewhere on the ace spectrum, too.”

“Thank you for trusting me with this moment,” Tony recited with Shitty’s Boston accent, making Nursey laugh.

“It’s the same as the other stuff. Talk about it. Connor’s ace-ness is gonna be different than my ace-ness or anyone else’s. He knows what he likes, when he likes it, all that. Just ask.”

“He definitely likes making out,” Tony mused. “He told me that. And I like kissing him.”

“And if that’s all he ever wants, you’re cool with that?” Chowder asked.

“Yeah! Connor is great. I just like spending time with him. I want to make him happy.”

“Then you’ll be good,” Nursey smiled. “You said he’s grey ace so that might mean he sometimes wants sex and usually doesn’t, or it could mean he likes only certain types of sex? There are so many ways to be ace. You just gotta ask and then respect his decisions.”

“I can do that,” Tony nodded.

“You’re gonna do just fine, Tango.”

“Thanks, guys,” Tony grinned, pulling Chowder and Nursey in for a group hug. “You’re the best.”

~

The morning after her chat -- and kissing -- with Connor and Tony, Denise called Lardo.

“What’s up, my favorite tadpole?”

Denise giggled, covering her mouth. “I’m your favorite?”

“Of course you are! You’re my protégée,” Lardo exclaimed with a flourish.

In the background, another voice called out, “Hi Ford!”

“Hi Shitty,” Denise greeted. She heard Lardo pass on the message and then a door closed. 

“The boys being good for you?” She asked. 

“Oh, yeah, the team’s great, I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Shoot.”

“Did you date, um, anyone while you were manager?”

“You talking about Shitty? Or, like, Rans and Holtz?” Lardo asked. 

“Wait, what?” Denise spluttered.

Lardo laughed. “Sorry, I thought you knew that.”

“I did not,” Denise informed her. “Okay, then this is doubly a useful call.”

“To answer your question, Shitty and I got together my senior year, after he’d left Samwell. But we’d been hooking up for a bit before that. As for Ransom and Holster, we were never really dating. Those two are open but only sexually, not romantically. We were just bros who banged sometimes. Still are.”

“This is so much information,” Denise mumbled, making Lardo chuckle again.

“What’s bothering you? Got a crush on one of our boys?”

“Well,” Denise began. “It’s kinda past ‘crush’ at this point.”

“Oh ho!” Lardo sang out. “Who’ve you bagged? That entire team is hot, I won’t judge.”

“Tony and Connor.”

There was a beat of silence. 

“Wait, what?”

“We’re still working it out,” Denise began. “But we’re gonna be a triad. We had dinner yesterday and talked it out. And we kissed a little. But I’ve barely dated and never done a triad. So we’re all figuring out what we want and talking tomorrow.”

“Very smart, my dude.” 

“Thanks,” Denise grinned. 

“So you wanna talk about dating hockey boys?”

“Yeah, but also just about dating men,  _ two  _ men, as a queer brown girl? If you’ve got any tips.”

Lardo hummed thoughtfully. “You’ll definitely want to lay out some ground rules. Like, Shitty isn’t allowed to pick me up without asking. Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I like being hauled around like a sack of potatoes.”

“Here, here,” Denise chimed in. 

“There’s going to be a few imbalances to juggle, really. The fact that you’re dating two much larger people, the fact that they’re both men, the fact that Tango is white while you and Connor are not, and, of course, the fact that you’re their manager.”

“Yeah, that’s about all I’ve got, too. I just don’t know where to start,” Denise groaned. She snatched up her calculus notebook and flipped to the back, uncapping a pen and scribbling everything down on the last page.

“Well, laying it all out like that will probably be useful for them, since who knows what they’re thinking.”

“Right, lay it all out first.”

“Set your boundaries. What are you comfortable with and not? Can they touch your hair? Can they pick you up? Only in certain situations? Those are questions only you can answer.”

“Right. Boundaries,” she wrote it down.

“And remember, you can change your mind. You can set something as off the table now that you allow later. Or you can allow for something now and change your mind later. It’s all okay.”

“Agency in my relationship. Got it.” 

“You should also let them know that while you will do your best not to let it influence your job, the fact is that your job is managing their team, and things will get confused. Just be clear and communicate.”

“You’ve got all this just top of mind, Lards?”

“I’ve been there. And I think about this kind of stuff. I’m an Asian American woman who dates multiple people at once. I think a lot about relationship dynamics.”

“Okay, fair.”

“As far as the queer bit goes, are you three going to date other people outside of your triad?” 

“Oh,” Denise said. “I hadn’t really thought about it. Connor has a boyfriend already, so he definitely is. But I think for now I just want to date Tony and Connor. Maybe later?”

“Well, whatever you decide, if either of them gets biphobic or makes any comments dismissive of your queerness, kick their asses.”

“Lardo!” 

“Verbally kick their asses? Seriously, your sexuality doesn’t disappear just because you’re dating two men.”

“Right. No biphobia,” Denise wrote in her notebook. “I mean, Connor is bi, and he’s got two boyfriends and me now, so I don’t think I’ll see any from him. I’m not sure what label Tony uses, but he’s interested in both me and Connor so he’s not straight.”

“I know, but still make sure, since you’re the only one not currently in relationships with multiple genders.”

“Good point,” Denise jotted down another note as Lardo sighed. 

“I think that’s all the wisdom I have, though. You wanna know anything else?”

“I think I’m good. I took notes. Lots to think about for sure.”

“That’s my girl. Look out for yourself. And feel free to tell them that I will kick their hockey asses if they hurt you.”

Denise laughed. “I’ll be sure to pass it on. Tony is pretty terrified of you, for what it’s worth.”

“Good, he should fear me,” Lardo laughed. “What’re they like, anyway?”

“We haven’t done any more than a couple of kisses, Lardo.”

“And? Are they good kissers?”

Denise hummed. “They were both quite gentle with me; good, but gentle. But when they kissed each other? They got really into it.”

“Ah, yeah, you’ll need to show them you’re not fragile. Hockey boys always try to be sweet and gentle with you. Get yours, Ford.”

Denise giggled. “I’m writing that down!”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. They’re good boys.”

“They really are.”

~

The next day found Connor admitting a whirlwind named Dex into his dorm room. 

“Nursey said Tango talked to him about starting a triad with you and Ford,” they greeted, inviting themself into the room and flopping back on Connor’s bed. 

“Come in, Dex, make yourself at home,” Connor deadpanned. 

Dex grinned from their place on the bed. They propped themself up on their hands and grinned at Connor. “I come bearing advice, taddie, be nice to me.”

Connor let out a chuckle and pulled out his desk chair, taking a seat beside the bed.

“Hit me.”

“Okay, here’s the thing. I know you know communication is the most important thing in a poly relationship. But it’s different for people like us.”

“How do you mean?” Connor asked.

“We’re doers,” Dex smiled. “We show our love with gifts and with time. And those are great! And your boyfriend knows that and your new partners know that, or they will. But it means you have to try double as hard to communicate. To make sure you are understood.”

“Oh,” Connor chewed his lower lip. 

“You may think you’re being clear, that you’re showing your affections, but sometimes it just doesn’t click for people like Nursey and Tango who use their words. Nursey and I learned it the hard way, and I don’t want you to have to as well.”

Connor had kind of wondered about how that relationship had come to be. Maybe he could ask Dex for the whole story later.

“So what do you do?” 

“I write my words down so I can take the time to find them,” Dex shrugged. “I’m not good at saying things in the moment, so I write notes, send texts, and when I do need to talk about something, I ask them to.”

“Like, text that you wanna talk to them?” Connor wondered. 

“Yeah, always a specific thing, though; no need to cause anxiety. So I’ll text Nursey that I wanna talk about something he said or something I want to do.”

“That makes sense.”

“And if you want something from any of your partners that you’re not getting, time or something usually, you gotta tell them,” Dex continued. “You’ll learn how they show their love and you know how best how you like to receive love. But you may need to ask for it.”

“I think I like, um, words of affirmation and time best.”

“See, you know,” Dex grinned at Connor. “It’s gonna take learning. But y’all are gonna be alright.”

“Y’all?” Connor grinned. “Pretty sure that’s a fine.”

“Shut your mouth, tadpole,” Dex scolded, but they were still grinning. “And if you need to talk, I’m around.”

“Thanks, Dex.”

“No problem.”

Connor let Dex out of his dorm with a promise to text if he needed anything and fiddled with his phone. 

He should talk to Matt. 

And especially after what Dex had said about making sure he was understood, he should talk with him in person. 

Finally, he opened his texts and typed out a simple one asking him to come over and talk about their boundaries with his new triad.

Matt sent a quick confirmation with a bunch of emojis Connor couldn’t begin to understand. 

He’d texted with Matt the night before when he got back from dinner and the decision to begin dating, but they hadn’t really talked all day since Matt had had practice that morning. 

Connor started to do some reading while he waited for Matt but his boyfriend arrived in only fifteen minutes. 

“I was nearby,” he explained with a shrug, kissing Connor soundly before moving into the room. 

“Hi,” Connor smiled, sitting on the bed and patting the space next to him. He wasn’t great with words and especially wasn’t great with them when he had just been kissed like  _ that _ .

“So,” Matt took his hand, “it’s gonna be a triad?”

Connor nodded. “They both like me and I like both of them and we all hang out together all the time anyway.”

“All good points,” Matt agreed. “So you wanna talk boundaries?”

He nodded again, reminding himself of Dex’s advice.

“Anything, in particular, you’re concerned about?” Matt prompted. 

Connor smiled and leaned his head on Matt’s shoulder. 

“You’re such a good boyfriend,” he murmured.

“You are, too, Connor.”

“I’m just,” he chewed his lip again, “not good with words.”

“Take as long as you need,” Matt squeezed his hand. 

“I don’t have any concerns,” Connor began. “Not really.”

“Okay.”

“I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

“We can do that. Do you want me to start?”

“Sure,” Connor sat up and looked at his boyfriend. 

“I like you so much, Connor, and I’m really glad you’re my boyfriend. I’d love to meet your other partners but I’m not interested in dating them. I’m sure they’re wonderful, I just know I don’t have time for more than two relationships with school and lacrosse. How does that sound?”

“I like the sound of that. Denise said poly is just having multiple partners all chirping you at once so I think she wants to meet you, too,” he laughed softly at the memory.

“I think we’ll get along just fine,” Matt grinned. 

“Okay, I think we should also have dedicated ‘us’ time,” Connor continued. “I need time with my partners and I’m gonna see Denise and Tony a lot, even if it’s just during hockey. But I wanna make sure I see you.”

“We could pick a day for a weekly date night,” Matt suggested. 

“Great,” Connor sighed. “This is easier than I was afraid.”

“When it’s with the right people, talking is easier,” Matt wrapped his arm around Connor’s shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Was still hard,” Connor said into Matt’s shirt. “Can we make out now?”

Matt chuckled, leaning back slightly from the hug and capturing his lips quickly. 

Connor supposed he could do this communication thing after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art for this chapter [here!](https://dyinginjapanese.tumblr.com/post/185320388144/made-this-some-time-ago-for-omgcpreversebang-and/)


	4. Chapter 4

Sunday morning, Tony awoke early, excited for the brunch he had planned with Denise and Connor. They’d agreed this wouldn’t be their official first date, they would plan that after they got all the relationship rules sorted. There were just so many dynamics involved that they were going to be extra cautious. 

But Tony was still excited. 

He knew what he wanted to add to their rules and Denise and Connor had both confirmed by text that they were ready to talk. 

And now it was that day! 

He got to Jerry’s early but he didn’t care. Seated in one of the circular booths, he watched the door

Connor arrived first, and Tony jumped up to greet him.

They hugged and then Tony looked at Connor and asked, “Can I kiss you?”

“Yeah,” Connor gave a small smile and leaned in, meeting Tony in a quick kiss. 

“Morning, boys,” a voice called, and Tony turned to see Denise waiting beside the booth. 

“Hi!” Tony greeted, wrapping her in a hug as well. 

“Do I get a kiss?” she asked, pulling back to look up at Tony.

“Please,” Tony grinned, leaning down to kiss her as well. 

After they broke apart, Tony slipped into the booth and Denise greeted Connor with a kiss as well before they both joined him. Tony reached out his hands to either side and each was soon linked with his new partners. 

“Order first? Then talk?” Tony offered.

“Good idea,” Denise agreed. “I’m so hungry.”

After their server had taken their orders and all three of them held a mug of coffee, Tony took a deep breath.

“So.”

“So?” Denise smiled. 

“I talked with Matt,” Connor began. “He’d like to meet you both if you want. Just as friends.”

“I’d love to meet him!” Tony exclaimed.

“Me, too,” Denise added. 

“And we’re gonna have a standing date night of our own.”

“Chowder suggested the same thing for you two,” Tony nodded. “And that the three of us should have a standing date night too. So we have dedicated triad time, even though we see each other all the time.”

“Chowder is a smart man,” Denise agreed. “Anything else you want to add, Tony?”

“Yeah, um, for now, I just want to date you two. I don’t know if I’ll want to date others later, but for now, I just want to build this relationship and spend time with my two favorite people.”

“I’m in the same spot,” Denise said. “I do want to add, though, that just because I only have male partners right now, I will not stand for any erasure of my queerness.”

“Of course not!” Connor shook his head. “I won’t let anyone else do that to you, either.”

“Thanks, Connor.”

“We’ve got your back,” Tony grinned. 

“And as the only woman in this triad, I want to make sure you both realize that while I’m smaller and female, I am not fragile. I want to be an equal here and I  _ will _ call you on sexist bullshit.”

“Of course,” Tony squeezed her hand. “Please do call me out, sometimes I don’t know what I don’t know.”

“Same,” Connor agreed, reaching across the table for Denise’s other hand. 

“And on that note,” Tony continued, “Both of you please call me on any dumb white shit I do. I try but I’m a dumb white boy sometimes.”

“You’re a decent white boy,” Connor chirped. “But we will.”

Denise nodded. 

“I should talk to you guys about my ace thing,” Connor said. “I use grey ace because sometimes I do like sex, but most of the time I can’t be bothered.”

“Not a problem at all, Connor. You just let us know if you’re feeling like it and we are there.”

“Seconded,” Tony grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at Connor.

Connor blushed and laughed. 

“I’m always down for makeouts, I just mean, if you two are feeling it and I’m not, we should talk about that. As a triad, I mean.”

“Oh, yeah, well, what are you comfortable with?” Tony asked. 

Connor shrugged. “I kinda see it like just a mutual interest that we don’t all have to share. Denise and I are gonna do stuff together that you aren’t into, sometimes you and Denise have sex that I’m not into. I just want to be involved in the emotional side 100%, regardless of the fact that I’m not in 100% of the sexual side, you know? They’re not that connected to me, but I know they are for you two.”

“That makes sense,” Denise nodded. “Not that we’re gonna all just start boning each other right away, but when we get there.”

Tony felt his cheeks heat and a giggle escaped. 

“I am all for the boning. When we get there,” he amended.

“Noted,” Denise winked at him. 

They were interrupted by their server arriving with their food and the three of them descended on their brunch with all the enthusiasm of college athletes, even if Denise was only an honorary athlete. 

After their plates were cleared, Tony reached out his hands again. 

“So, are we all in?”

“For sure,” Denise nodded, grasping his hand.

“Yeah,” Connor smiled, taking the other.

“When should our official first date be, then? I can’t wait to take you both out,” Tony grinned.

“Coffee tomorrow after practice? Keep it simple?” Denise offered.

“I’m in,” Tony grinned.

“Perfect,” Connor agreed. 

~

The next morning, Denise watched her two boys skating and tried to quell the butterflies in her stomach. 

She kept noticing them glancing her way and raised an eyebrow at them, pointing them back to the ice. 

Connor gave her a smirk, Tony a wide grin. 

When they had finally -- finally! -- finished practice, they changed out while Denise chatted with the coaches, then the two boys greeted her and Tony offered an arm which Denise wrapped her hand around, and they began to make their way to Annie’s. 

Tony opened the door for her and Connor, ushering them in, and then insisted on paying for all three of their coffees. 

“You didn’t need to do that, Tony,” Denise rested a hand on his elbow as they waited for their drinks to be made. 

Tony shrugged. “I like to treat my partners. Besides, it’s just coffee.”

“Well, thank you,” Denise smiled at him and stood up her toes to kiss his cheek. She was rewarded with a sweet blush across his cheeks. 

“Yeah, thanks, Tony. Let me treat you next time?” Connor added from beside them. 

“I think we can do that,” Tony grinned. 

“Order for Tony?” the barista called. 

“That’s us,” Connor stepped up, collecting the order. Connor passed Denise her latte and Tony his Americano, before picking up his own cafe au lait and leading the way to a small three-seater table.

“I have a feeling these tables are going to become our favorite things,” Denise smiled as she sat down. 

Tony grinned at her. 

“So.” Connor smiled. 

“This is weird!” Denise laughed, burying her face in her hands. 

“I think it’s lovely!” Tony exclaimed. “It’s just like when we’d hang out before but now I don’t have to hide how much I like you.”

“That’s so sweet, Tony,” Denise peeked through her fingers with a giggle. “I’m just not sure what to do with myself.”

Connor reached out and laced his fingers through one of her hands, pulling it gently away from her face and kissing her fingers gently. 

“You don’t have to do anything, Denise. I just like being here with you,” Connor smiled, then looked at Tony. “We both do.”

“Yeah, I could tell from how much you two kept sneaking looks all through practice,” Denise chirped. 

Both of the boys blushed and Denise grinned at them. 

“You know, we should really try to keep our professional relationship separate from our new relationship.”

“I know, and I’ll be better! I just was so excited!”

“I was, too,” Denise smiled, reaching out to take Tony’s hand. 

They all three looked at it each other and Denise felt her own cheeks heat. 

“Tony, how did that exam go yesterday?” Connor said abruptly. “I forgot to ask.”

“Oh! I think it went really well! I won’t get the grade until next week but I’m pretty confident.”

“That’s great, Tony!” Denise squeezed his hand. 

They chattered as normal as they drank their coffees and afterward the three of them took the long way back to the dorms, hands linked together and enjoying each other's’ company. 

The three of them reached the sophomore dorms and Tony pulled them to the side of the lobby. 

“Do you want to come upstairs?” he asked. “My roommate has class until noon and I’d very much like to spend some more time with you.”

“I’d like that,” Denise smiled. 

Connor nodded and started for the stairs. Tony gestured her ahead and she followed Connor up to the second floor where Tony lived. 

Once they were all in the dorm room, Denise flopped onto the bed with a sigh, eliciting a giggle from Tony, who flopped next to her on the twin mattress. 

Denise patted the space next to her and Connor sat next to them. She grinned up with him and crooked a finger playfully at him. Connor smiled and leaned down, meeting her in a kiss that made her toes curl. Tony pressed to her other side, she melted into Connor’s embrace. 

“Wow,” Tony whispered. 

Connor leaned back and Tony captured her mouth instead, Connor pressing in beside them instead. 

When she was finally released, breathless and panting, Tony grinned at her. 

“Wow,” he said again.

Connor leaned across her and kissed Tony as well, Denise beneath them, trying to catch her breath. 

When they released each other, they cuddled into either side of Denise and breathed heavily. 

“This is nice,” Denise sighed, pulling each of the boys to her side. 

“This is the  _ best _ ,” Tony sighed.

Denise giggled. Connor chuckled.

She was definitely keeping these boys, awkward first dates be damned. 

~

A week after their new triad officially began, Connor was pacing. There was only an hour before Matt was meeting Denise and Tony.

Connor was a bundle of nerves. 

“Hey, babe,” Connor felt his boyfriend’s arms link around his waist. 

“Hi,” Connor sighed. 

“Nervous?” Matt asked from his shoulder. 

“No,” he scoffed. 

“Liar.”

“Yeah, alright, I’m nervous.”

“Why? I think I’m going to like them. And I know they’re going to like me. I’m a  _ delight _ .”

Connor spun around slowly in Matt’s arms. 

“And modest, too,” he chirped. 

“Come on, let’s go to lunch, then go meet your lovely partners.”

“Yeah, alright,” Connor rolled his eyes but leaned in to give Matt a quick kiss before leading the way to the dining hall. 

They had plans to meet his other partners on the quad after lunch, so Matt and Connor made their way there after eating their fill. 

“Still nervous?” Matt asked, linking his fingers through Connor’s.

Connor shrugged. “Not really? But a little bit.”

“That’s alright. But I’m sure it’ll be just fine.”

Connor spotted Denise and Tony first and led Matt across the grass to them. When they got nearer, Denise finally looked up from where she was laying with her head on Tony’s chest, looking up at the sky. 

“Hey, babe,” she greeted, rolling to her feet and wrapping her arms around Connor’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. 

Connor had known he’d liked kissing Matt but he hadn’t realized how much it would extend to Denise and Tony. It was  _ really nice _ . 

He kept this kiss short though, before greeting Tony as well and then turning back to Matt. 

“This is my boyfriend, Matt Johansen,” he introduced. 

“Nice to meet you,” Denise smiled and offered her hand. Matt shook it with an amused twinkle in his eye. “I’m Denise, but the team calls me Ford or Foxtrot because I’m always hanging out with these two. Jokes on them, though, I think.”

“And I’m Tony, or Tango. But Connor just calls me Tony. What should we call you?”

“Matt is just fine,” he grinned, shaking Tony’s hand as well. “My team calls me Jo, but that’s just a lacrosse thing.”

“Fuck the lacrosse team!” Tony shouted with a grin. 

Matt laughed, and Connor felt a weight fall from his shoulders. This was going alright after all. 

Connor sat down on the grass and tugged Matt and Tony along with him, Denise sitting down gracefully across from him. 

“So, lacrosse?” Denise chirped. “How’s that work with you two?”

Matt laughed. “It’s just never been a problem for us. I don’t even understand your team’s hatred of mine, honestly. I think it goes so far back that no one knows how it started anymore.”

“I do, actually!” Tony exclaimed. “I asked around and it turns out that Jack and Shitty’s frog year, they got in a fight with the lacrosse bros, something about unseemly decorations on one of the houses, though I don’t actually know who was upset at who, and it turned into a giant prank war! So that’s why Shitty put it in the bylaws and the feud was born!”

“Wow,” Denise laughed. “It’s only since Shitty’s frog year?”

“Yup!”

“That makes it even funnier somehow,” Matt laughed. 

“I feel like there’s always gonna be some sort of feud when they put two athlete houses across the street,” Connor mused. “It’s the nature of college athletes. They just needed a fuse.”

“That’s probably true,” Matt nodded. 

“Juice box?” Denise offered, unzipping her backpack. “I always do best meeting people with something to fidget with.”

“Hit me,” Matt grinned. 

Denise passed out the juice boxes and the four of them chirped each other as they fumbled the tiny straws. 

“So, tell me about yourselves? I only know what Connor’s told me, which is mostly about how amazing you both are.”

“Well, I’m from New Jersey,” Tony began. “Majoring in Computer Science. Play right wing on Connor’s line. And my favorite color is green!”

Denise snorted into her juice box. “And he’ll ask you questions for as long as you let him, so be careful of the openings you give him.”

“It’s my learning style,” Tony shrugged, unashamed. 

“I’m a stage manager, majoring in tech theater, plus managing SMH of course,” Denise said. “And I’m from Chicago.”

“Nice,” Matt grinned. “I’m from Virginia, majoring in education, and I have twin little siblings, Rose and Ben. They’re freshmen in high school this year and I miss them like crazy.”

Connor reached over and squeezed Matt’s hand. 

“And obviously, I play lacrosse,” he grinned. 

“Fuck the lacrosse bros!” Denise chirped. 

“Sorry, Denise, I’m way too gay for that,” Matt teased back. Denise dissolved into giggles. 

Tony sucked his juice box dry in a terrible gurgle, then crushed it into the grass and collapsed into Connor’s lap. 

“I like him,” he said in a stage whisper. 

Matt snorted and reached over to ruffle Tony’s hair. “I like you, too, Tony.”

“Good,” Tony said, letting his eyes fall shut. 

Denise scooted across the grass and cuddled into Tony’s side, laying her head on Connor’s knee. 

“I think we’ll all get along just fine,” she declared, patting Matt’s shin, the only part of him she could reach.

“If nothing else, we can all chirp this one together,” Matt grinned down at her before leaning in to kiss Connor’s cheek.

Connor felt his face heat. 

“I signed up for this,” he mumbled. “I literally  _ just _ signed up for this.”

“You love it,” Denise chirped.

Connor leaned into Matt’s shoulder, surrounded by his partners, and sighed happily.

“I really do.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i love these nerds so much and had such a great time writing for Mori's art! you can come bug me on [tumblr](https://willdexpoindexter.tumblr.com/)


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